Recent years have seen some progress in the development of harm reduction in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, but policies and services rarely account for the specific needs of women who use drugs. Drug user registries, the illegal status of drug use and sex work, lack of access to evidence-based drug treatment, stigma and discrimination are among the factors that hinder women drug users’ access to medical care while exposing them to a range of human rights abuses. Using input from national experts, this paper explores issues of drug policy and discrimination on the basis of gender in Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine.

Special notes

The publication is released with support from the Global Drug Policy Program, Open Society Institute.